Tuesday, June 26, 2012

One of the things sports is full of is excuses. Not only does nobody want to be responsible for failure there is a laundry list of expressions to explain away losing. The team/player looked tired out there today. Didn't have their A game. Turns out this was a trap game for (X) this afternoon. Maybe they were overlooking this opponent. The team looked uncharacteristically lost/unprepared out there today. He was half a step slow out there. Players looked tight. They played with tired legs. It's a young team and they haven't been here before. They were in uncharted territory ...
Sometimes teams and/or players really are physically worn out and unable to perform to their true ability but more often than not the litany of excuses refer to breakdowns in a team's or player's mental game. Barring injury nothing has more of an impact on a contest's outcome than the mental state of the competitors. At the peak of sport, any sport, the competitors are all highly skilled, well trained, physically capable and have years of experience. The dividing line between winning and losing becomes razor thin and more often than you might imagine the difference isn't a matter of excellence but the ability to play up to your normal standard in unusual high pressure situations; the mind game.
Case in point: Tampa Bay Damage. Going into Day 2 in Phoenix Damage was 19-1 in its previous 20 matches and that string included three wins with a World Cup sandwiched in the middle. On Day 1 the team won 2 matches by identical 7-1 scores. On Day 2 the wheels came off. [In no way should these comments be construed as suggesting anything negative about our opponents who did what they needed to do to win. My only point is that Damage had routinely demonstrated the capacity to perform better than the team did to close out Phoenix and in Chicago.] So what happened? Did a championship caliber team suddenly forget how to play? The answer is of course not so the problem lies elsewhere. First we lost the mind game then we lost the match(es).
Why does it happen? I don't know. How does it happen? Sometimes it begins with a single player and single negative comment. Depends on the team and depends on the players. Sometimes it begins with a bad point. An outburst in the pits. An argument that escalates into a shouting match in the middle of a paintball match. And sometimes it's as seemingly benign as coming out flat, starting slow--having tired legs. There is no single cause or cure. It is least well understood or controllable element of the group dynamic. But happen it does.
I am inclined to think that at its core its a failure to deal with pressure; the pressure to succeed, to perform and the bigger the moment or the greater the expectation the more the pressure mounts. That still doesn't explain why it happens to players and teams when it does but I don't think there is just one explanation.
The more important question for the competitor is: How do I fix it?
I wish I knew.
Okay I have a few ideas. (Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to write this post.) Change the focus and control what you can control and ignore the rest. When I say 'change the focus' what I really mean is stop focusing on winning. Don't get me wrong--winning is the bottom line and I'm all about winning. You can take that to the track and bet the trifecta on it but--the first goal for every team is to focus on playing your best game. You have no control over winning. All you can do is your best and believe that today it is enough to bring home the victory. For good teams the pressure to win is always there anyway but the only thing under your control is how you perform. Stop thinking and simply start doing. And to do that the team must focus on the things under its control. Preparation. Repetition with purpose. (By that I mean not simply going through the motions but making the effort to learn from mistakes as a player and a team in the process preparing to compete.) Clearly defined roles. (When players know their roles they play within the concept of the team and focus on their job.) Execution of the game plan, point by point. (Staying focused on executing the game plan puts the bigger picture out of mind and helps to remind the player he is part of a larger whole.) Play in the moment. (Do your job, trust your teammates to do their's and play as a unit by executing the game plan.) Do all that effectively and success will follow. Fingers crossed.

3 comments:

I was thinking about how my paintball compares to other sports I've played in terms of what is needed of me to help my team win, which got my head spinning because realistically I figure you cannot compare paintball to more commonly played team sports. What other sport features very restricted vision of the opposing side and of the entire field, has players leaving the field within seconds of the starting horn creating team imbalance and in what other sport can each player's movement expose that player to possible ejection or glory.

Maybe it's time TBD hired a sports psychologist to work with the boys. It's standard practice for most pro sports teams and maybe one of the few areas (besides a full time physio) that pro paintball teams haven't tried? (I could be wrong because I wouldn't put it past the Russians for trying something like this out already)

Certainly areas that have grown in recent years in the applications to sport but sadly "pro" paintball, while adept at spending money, isn't good at making money and too many teams are more concerned with next events paint requirements. :)

Figuring out this mental side of the game is, perhaps, my favorite part of paintball. Personally analyzing my state of mind when I've been successful and when I've fallen short has lead me to analyze the other players on my team and try to anticipate their needs. I constantly ask myself, "Where do my players need to be, mentally, to be successful on the field?" and "What do I need to do to get them there?"

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ABOUT

About Baca:
Baca Loco is the forum name I first used at P8ntballer.com and kept when I starting writing for PGi magazine, the late, lamented Paintball Games International. At various times I did gun reviews, event reports, the occasional feature, How-To’s & a monthly column entitled, View from the Deadbox. At one time or another I’ve done most everything you can do in paintball other than own a field or run a tourney series. For the last several years I have coached a number of pro teams and generally made a nuisance of myself whenever possible.

About VIEW FROM THE DEADOX:
One purpose of this blog is to encourage a dialogue about competitive paintball and permitting commenter anonymity is intended to encourage the participation of those who actually know what they are talking about. The rest of you are also welcome, even encouraged, to comment as well. (I don't really need any encouragement.)
The other purpose of this blog is to provide a focus for my attention deficit disorder and hold boredom at bay.

About my views:
Brilliant, visionary and almost always correct. Get used to it. Oh, and I'm humble too. Feel free to disagree as long as you are prepared to be wrong.

FAQ

How is paintball like golf? Golf is played outdoors on nice, well kept grass or, if something goes horribly wrong, off in the woods. Same with paintball.

How is a paintball made? What am I, Wikipedia?

Who are your sponsors? Who hasn't been one of my sponsors? I won't be trying to promote current sponsors on this blog nor will I take shots at non-sponsors. I don't give gun, goggle or gear advice so it really doesn't matter.

What's your view on cheating? It's wrong and has no place in the game. That's why I don't play scenario or Big Games.

What's your favorite marker? The free one.

Where did that awesome photo come from in the blog header? It is the work of photographer extraordinaire, Brandon Showers or the vixen with a Nikon (or maybe a Canon) Meagan Foster.

What's your favorite team? Grow up.

Who started the Rec vs. Tourney war? Some will say that's just the way it's always been. Others claim it's natural for the sides to be at odds. I say, aren't we all brothers under the goggles? I'm not sure but ask yourself who benefits? Follow the money. Could it be a covert plot of the Military Simulation Industrial Complex? As long as the war rages on there will be a demand for more paint, more markers and Big Paintball will continue to count its profits instead of the cost. Give peace a chance. That's all that I'm saying.

How do I get sponsored? You don't.

Will you send me any free stuff if I tell you what a big fan I am? No.

Is agg dead yet? Yes, it's time to move on to some new uber hip trendiness that everyone can follow to demonstrate their individuality.

Is it true the inside of Ollie Lang's gearbag smells like roses? No, strawberries and cream.